Domestic Sovereignty In World Politics

Domestic Sovereignty and Its Significance in World Politics

Domestic sovereignty refers to the authority structure and its effectiveness within a defined territory. Best defined by Stephen Krasner in Abiding Sovereignty, domestic sovereignty is the formal organization of political authority within the state and the ability of public authorities to exercise effective control within the borders of their own territory. Without domestic sovereignty, there would be no way to enforce laws or have a stable political and economic system. A country like the United States is a good example of a country that has domestic sovereignty. It is independent, globally recognized, exerts authority over it’s population, and a has defined territory.

Domestic sovereignty is essential to a state because without it the state would have no borders, no formal recognition of countries, and constant overstepping of boundaries by other states. It wasn’t until the Treaty of Westphalia that countries were beginning to be formally recognized in Europe. This was when we see the rise of the very first sovereign states in Europe. Having been fighting over

A failed state is defined as a state that has failed the basic requirements of a sovereign state, which are, a functional government, a population, a defined territory, and independence. According to Stephen Krasner in his article Addressing State Failure, “weak and failed states pose an acute risk to U.S. and global security.” When a country is on the brink of failure, or has failed, it is prone to terrorism, narcotics trade, weapons proliferation, and other forms of organized crime. This not only effects the state itself, but also surrounding states. Failed states also are subject to high levels of human rights violations and political scapegoating, according to